1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a measuring apparatus relating to weather and climate, and more particularly, to an apparatus for measuring the amount of snow cover that indicates the amount of snow piled up and the amount of snowfall that indicates the amount of resulting water after the snow is melted.
2. Description of the Related Art
When it rains in a natural mountain or on a slope surface consisting of soil, earth and sand and water of soil layers are flowed towards a lower position of an inclined plane along an inclination direction due to the effect of rainfall. Thus, erosion of soil layers occurs in an upper or middle portion of the inclined plane, and earth and sand moved from the upper portion of the inclined plane are deposited on a region with a relatively low altitude and a gentle inclination.
Such erosion and deposition of soil layers is the most fundamental cause of a natural change in topography. In the case of severe erosion of soil layers, it may cause landslide or collapse of the inclined plane. In addition, when earth and sand lost from the inclined plane meets reaches a small stream or the like, it is moved to downstream, and in this procedure, a portion of earth and sand is deposited on a bottom portion of the stream and causes an increase in riverbed elevation. The increase in riverbed elevation causes a reduction in a cross-sectional area of a river in which the river flows over, and this may be a potential cause of flood.
One of significant causes for earth and sand movement is rainfall and snowfall caused by snow or rain. Thus, it is very important to investigate the relationship between the amount earth and sand movement and the amount of rainfall and snowfall.
Although a variety of measuring devices with improved accuracy of measurement have been developed as rain gauges, the development of a method and apparatus for measuring the amount of snow cover is not sufficient. In other words, in the related art, the amount of snow cover is measured by weight, and the amount of snow that corresponds to 10% of the amount of snow cover is converted into the amount of snowfall. However, a water content in the snow varies depending on whether snow cover is dry or wet. Thus, it is not accurate to measure the amount of snow cover by using weight.
In addition, methods of measuring the amount of snow cover (height of snow cover) by using optics or ultrasounds have been developed. However, there is a limitation in inaccurate measurement of the amount of snow cover. In particular, the amount of snowfall after the snow is melted cannot be measured.